AFTER a year of stressful house-hunting, a game of golf almost prevented tom Sutter from closing on his new home.

This was no ordinary bogeying with the buddies. A pro golfer, Tom had qualified for the Barclays Classic (formerly known as the Buick Classic) and, as luck would have it, he was scheduled to tee off the same day as his closing.

Let’s start at the first tee: Tom, 49, and his wife, Molly, 33, had been renting a two-bedroom apartment in Bronxville. It was comfortable and close to the train, giving Molly, a designer specializing in consumer products, an easy commute into the city.

When Molly became pregnant last spring, the couple had intended to stay put – until they learned they were expecting twins. “If we had a singleton, we’d have been happy there a little longer,” she says.

Five months pregnant, Molly contacted Cara Kealy of Bronxville-Ley Real Estate. But their search stalled when Molly’s pregnancy confined her to bed rest.

Six months later, the proud parents of Thomas and Zelda (now 1) began their search in earnest. After months of lying in bed, growing intimate with her pad’s faults, “I was like, get me outta here,” says Molly.

Initially, the Sutters were willing to spend $500,000 to $600,000. Most of the Westchester homes in that price range were fixer-uppers that required more fixing and upping than the couple cared to do.

Near the end of March, they offered the asking price ($640,000) on a Tudor in Scarsdale. They made the offer on a Friday and intended to sign a contract on Monday – but on Sunday, the sellers had accepted a higher bid.

“I cried for two weeks,” sighs Molly.

They also were outbid on a handful of other houses. Having assembled a roughly 10 percent down payment, “they were at a disadvantage because other people could afford to put more down,” says Kealy.

As spring progressed, Tom found himself immersed in the golf season, leaving Molly to do most of the house-hunting solo. Luckily, she notes, she and Kealy kept in close contact by phone.

Kealy also added the Sutters to an e-list that sent out new, suitable listings each week. One Tuesday evening, Molly checked her e-mails for new listings. Seeing nothing, she logged off and . But a hungry Thomas woke her at 3 a.m., Molly figured she’d give her e-mail another try. Sitting in her in-box was a listing for a four-bedroom stucco house, priced at $559,000. Molly left Kealy a message and planned to drive by the Mount Vernon house in the morning, on her way back from picking up Tom at the airport.

As luck would have it, the Sutters drove by the very moment a broker was hanging an “open house” sign in the yard. Though the showing was intended for brokers only, the Sutters talked their way in – and were instantly smitten. “It was awesome,” says Molly, noting the wide staircase and large rooms. “I loved this house, I loved the feeling.” The couple left strict orders with the selling broker: “Do not sell this house.” Just to show their serious interest, they offered $565,000, and it was accepted.

At the time, “everything seemed really great,” says Tom.

But then, in a surprise turn, the sellers insisted that the house close on June 24 – the very day Tom was slated to play Barclays. Stress ensued. Tom wouldn’t learn his tee time until the day before, the sellers were inflexible, and the terms of the mortgage wouldn’t allow Molly to sign for Tom.

To make matters worse, the Sutters’ lawyers called and said: “We don’t understand why your husband is going to blow off the closing for a golf game,” says Molly.

Of course, this wasn’t just a golf game. It was a tournament with a million-dollar prize pool. Did Tom ever consider skipping the event? “Not at all,” he says, with a mischievous grin.

“Our philosophy with golf with Tom is his tournaments come first,” Molly explains. “That’s just the way it is. It’s not selfish or chauvinistic; he has a passion for what he does.”

Tom, being a “laid-back Jack,” as Molly describes, assumed everything would work out. And it did: Tom teed off at 8:30, which gave him enough time to play, wolf down lunch in his car and be fashionably late for his closing.

That Friday may not have been a career highlight for Tom – who didn’t make the cut – but it was a personal one: At long last, he and Molly became homeowners.

They did some renovations before their Aug. 1 move-in and intend to do more. Out in the backyard, Molly envisions sod, hydrangeas – and a putting green for Tom.